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The story thus far: I am a 48-year-old recovering fat guy. In 1985 I graduated from high school at a scrawny 135lbs. By 1988 I had ballooned up to 190 and I inflated further until 2011, topping out somewhere around 260. I started working out in 2011 and in 2013, working with a personal trainer, got down to 190 while building strength and endurance for the first time in my life and entered my first 5k. And in 2014, I discovered Obstacle Course Racing after being inspired by @Teros to enter a Spartan Race. I was hooked. In 2015 I set out to earn a Spartan Trifecta, completed by finishing a Spartan Sprint, Super and Beast in the same calendar year. I managed to complete it in a four-week period in April and May. I did the Beast and Sprint on back-to-back days, celebrating my 48th birthday by earning my Trifecta on a mountain in Montana in what was the most grueling 30 hours of my life. So, so worth it. I wound up setting my sights higher, aiming for a multiple Trifecta. I claimed my Double Trifecta at the Dallas Beast with @Wild Wolf on Halloween, and just missed completing my third Trifecta two weeks later when I was too sick to start in Carolina. That missing piece at the bottom still annoys me. My failure to complete that third Trifecta really ticked me off, and I set a goal for 2016 of completing five Spartan Trifectas this year. My first Boss Battle this year will be the return to the mountain in Montana for my rematch with the Spartan Beast in Kalispell. It's my 2016 Battle of Endor. Better than the original, because no Teddy Bear Battle. My mantra so far this year has been "Everything is just training until I get to Montana." Montana is only six weeks away, and I want to continue my trend of finishing further to the left on the bell curve. I have identified a few weaknesses along the way, and it's time to address them. To that end, my goals will look pretty familiar to anyone who's checked out my previous challenges this year. What I'm doing is working as long as I am held accountable. Goal: Spartan Race Training Obstacle Course Racing (OCR) and Spartan Race in particular test not just who is fast or who is strong, but who can stay fast and strong when they are tired. I have identified two obstacles that I need to focus on the most: the Spartan Rig - a contraption with pipes, rings and ropes - and the Tyrolean Traverse. Both will require more upper-body and grip strength than I currently have. Fortunately, my current strength training regimen can get me there. Goal 1a: Strength Training 4 days per week. I have classes at my gym that focus primarily on strength training that I love. I am much more consistent and accountable in a group setting. My regular schedule, when I'm not travelling, will be as follows, until something changes:Monday: CrossFit. Traci emphasizes overhead work and squats here.Tuesday and Thursday: My "Plus" class. The emphasis is on lifting heavy - deadlifts, squats, bench press are the staples. Friday: HIIT is almost exclusively a cardio workout.Saturday: Either HIIT followed by Boot Camp at the gym for a total of 1.5 hours of total work with a 15-minute break, or OCR training at "the Hill" - a park where my Spartan group will be training regularly until next winter. Either option simulates the strength endurance I require to perform well at an Obstacle Course Race. Goal 1b: Cardio Training 6 days per week. During my last challenge, I began doing Steady-State Cardio on the treadmill: 60 minutes at max incline while maintaining my heart rate between 132 and 148 bpm. In the time that I did this, I was able to quickly improve my speed. I will be doing this every Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday. I will also mix in a 5k trail run on Wednesday evenings. If I don't make it out to the hill on Saturday for OCR training, I will go for a one to two hour run on Saturday or Sunday. I will log and report my daily activity to keep me accountable, especially the cardio, which I don't particularly enjoy, but which is necessary for me to get better at the things I really do enjoy. Goal: Waistline Training I don't want to be carrying as much weight around a course. I've regained much of the upper-body strength I lost while injured last year, but it's easier to push 185lbs over a wall and up a rope than it is to push 195. I have discovered the following truth: 80% of weight loss is not tied to how much I lift on a bar, but how much I lift on a fork. I am successful when I track my macros, but I give myself too many passes on weekends and when I travel, and I need to tighten up those areas so I'm not sabotaging all my other progress. I have tweaked my macros with the other trainers at my gym and have come up with the following macros, that I will adhere to: 1600-2000 calories per day (low on rest days, high on all others)135+ grams protein 135- grams carbohydrates35+ grams fiber<2800 grams sodium (this is an increase from the 2000 from my last 2 challenges, based on my activity, for electrolyte balance) I will log and report my food every day. Goal: Personal Training This one has become flat-out embarrassing. I've listed this goal every challenge so far this year and I've failed every time, but it's time to buck up or quit altogether. I need to schedule my Personal Training certification test by the end of the month. The actual test can be in May, but I have to have it scheduled by the end of the month. Period. In the spirit of "It's all training until Montana," I have a couple races coming up this month: Mini Boss Battle 1: During the first weekend of this challenge, I will participating in Goldy's Run, a 10 mile run that finishes at the 50-yard line of the University of Minnesota football field. Last year I finished in 2:05 and even though "It's just another training run", I would love to improve on last year's finish. My goal is under 2 hours. My stretch goal is under 1:45. We'll see how any of this goes since I haven't been running consistently this year. Mini Boss Battle 2: During the third weekend of this challenge, I will compete in both the Spartan Super and the Spartan Sprint in Burnet, TX. So far this year I have completed the SoCal Super, the Arizona Sprint and the Las Vegas Super, and I've succeeded in improving my finish in each after ending last year slow and injured. This is evidently a pretty flat course - much like Phoenix and Vegas were, and like Seattle last fall - and I would like to continue my march leftward on the bell curve of finisher results. My goal is to finish the Super in under three hours. My stretch goal is 2:45. Six Weeks until the Montana Beast and my first 2016 Trifecta. Time to turn things up a notch.

The story thus far: I am a 48-year-old recovering fat guy. In 1985, I weighed 135lbs. By 1988 I was at 190 and I spent all the years between 1990 and 2012 over 200 pounds, topping out somewhere around 260 in 2011. I started working out in 2011 and in 2013, working with a personal trainer, got down to 190 while building strength and endurance, and entered my first 5k. And in 2014, I discovered Obstacle Course Racing after being inspired by Teros to enter a Spartan Race. I was hooked. I will always remember my first. I'm a Jedi Master. You can tell because of the grey in the beard. All the cool Jedi Masters rock that gray. I said "the cool ones." I thought Qui-Gon was a self-serving jackass. At the end of Week 3, I will be participating in the Las Vegas Spartan Super, my second Super of the year as part of my 2016 quest to complete five Spartan Trifectas. My goal here is to finish in under 3:15 after completing the SoCal Super in 3:44 and after completing the Arizona Sprint while missing only the spear throw. This will be my third checkpoint test for my initial Boss Level Battle, where I will attempt to out-perform my 2015 finish at the Spartan Beast in Kalispell, MT in May, where I will receive my first Trifecta of 2016. My first ever Spartan Trifecta from 2015. My goals build on what I have laid out in each of my 2016 challenges so far. They've helped me get off to a solid start this year. Now, I want to ramp it up. Goal: Spartan Race Training Pictured: love at 82 degrees. Obstacle Course Racing (OCR) and Spartan Race in particular test not just who is fast or who is strong, but who can stay fast and strong when they are tired. I know what it takes to get where I want to be. Goal 1a: Strength Training 4 days per week. I have classes at my gym that focus primarily on strength training that I love. I am much more consistent and accountable in a group setting. Goal 1b: Run three days per week. I prefer trail running but I also hate running outdoors during the winter. Treadmill is acceptable, but Spring is evidently coming early again this year and I should be outside. I started to run at lunch the past couple weeks, now I need to stay consistent and start getting in a long (six miles-plus) run on Saturday or Sunday. My regular schedule, when I'm not travelling, will be as follows, until something changes: Monday: CrossFit. Traci emphasizes overhead work and squats here. Tuesday and Thursday: My "Plus" class. The emphasis is on lifting heavy - deadlifts, squats, bench press are the staples. Friday: HIIT is almost exclusively a cardio workout. Saturday: HIIT followed by Boot Camp for a total of 1.5 hours of total work with a 15-minute break. This simulates the strength endurance I require to perform well at an Obstacle Course Race. Sunday: Every other Sunday I can do SkySculpt Plus before I get going with my church activities and my kids. On the weeks where I have other obligations, I will need to program a workout and get it done. I have the keys to the gym, there's no reason I can't do this. Variances: I have the Get Lucky 7k on Saturday, March 12, and this will preclude me getting to HIIT/Boot Camp on Saturday. However, I also have the Spartan Workout Tour on Sunday, March 13. This is a two-hour workout and will substitute nicely for my normal Saturday work. I will log and report my daily progress. Goal: Waistline Training Honestly, I just want to look better in my jersey. I don't want to be carrying as much weight around a course. While I am regaining my upper-body strength - which is coming back quickly - it's easier to push 185lbs over a wall and up a rope than it is to push 200. I have discovered the following truth: 80% of weight loss is not tied to how much I lift on a bar, but how much I lift on a fork. I am most successful when I track my macros. During my last challenge, I re-evaluated my goals with one of the other trainers at my gym and changed my program for the first time in over a year to the following: 1650-2000 calories per day 135+ grams protein 35+ grams fiber <2000 grams sodium I will log and report my food every day. Goal: Personal Training If Luke hadn't become impatient, he could have been so jacked. Han was destined for carbonite either way. I have really struggled with this. I need to complete my Personal Training certification. I have resigned myself to having to dump more money into this, which sucks, but it will suck more if I don't become certified and I lose my current training gig. Goal: CPR/AED certification by the end of the month Goal: 30 minutes daily study and prep The sun is staying out longer, which means it's easier to keep my energy levels up. Time to ramp up the efforts and actually completing some of these quest goals.

Hi! Aminarra here... I'm a member of the Academy and the rebellion. Went into a tailspin for about 4 months now (jeeze) and I'm back at it I did yoga for the first time today, I'm starting personal training and physical therapy on Wednesday, and I'm full on paleo. Challenge Goal: STAY FOCUSED Mini Fitness Goals: Week 1 - 1 PT, 1 Yoga, 3 Therapy Week 2 - 2 PT, 1 Yoga, 5 Therapy Mini Food Goals: Week 1 - Pack paleo lunch 5x/week Week 2 - Pack paleo lunch 5x/week I usually stop posting after a couple of weeks, so I'm hoping to make it to week 3 this time! I recently joined the NF Academy Women's FB group, so that will help to keep me focused I did *not* take 'before' weight/measurements yet, but I will. Pinky promise. Let's do this! -Ami